Student Association (SA) President JoJo Dodd broke constitutional rules Monday afternoon when he released an endorsement statement via Twitter in support of presidential candidate Roxanne Raven.
According to Mississippi State University’s SA constitution, the elections board and SA executive officers shall not wear or display any type of campaign materials. The constitution also states the elections board and SA executive officers shall not publicly express support of any candidate. 
Dodd said he has no plans to step down as SA president, but realizes the rules have been broken.
“I am aware this goes against a particular rule. I think it is important enough, I believe in it enough and I am passionate about it enough that I think it is worth it,” Dodd said. “The student association is important if you think Mississippi State is important. The student body president has real influence, and truly affects all aspects of student life. You want someone in that position who is committed to serving all students and someone committed to making campus better.”
According to Dodd, none of the candidates were made aware of his decision prior to his endorsement release, and his choice to do so is not about being negative toward other candidates.
“This isn’t about being negative. The spirit of Mississippi State is one that is positive, and one worth upholding and preserving. So, it’s important to think about what you want and who will be good for the job, without belittling or demeaning someone else,” Dodd said.
“I’ve seen Roxanne work diligently all year. Even when no one else was watching,” Dodd said.  “I’ve seen her put in hours and I’ve seen her do the thankless jobs and empower other people to better campus. It isn’t just about her, it’s about others and making this place better. That’s the kind of person you want in this role.”
Roxanne Raven, current vice president of SA and presidential candidate, said she plans to continue her campaign ethically.
“I had no idea he was going to endorse me. My very first value in a campaign is ethics and I’ve run my campaign ethically thus far. I will continue to run it ethically after this,” Raven said.
Similarly, current SA Attorney General and presidential candidate Cole Wood said he would continue moving forward as well.
 “I know JoJo came out in support of Roxanne and if that’s what he’s going to do then fine. I can’t let that get me down. I have to keep moving forward,” Wood said. “This does not change my campaign. I spoke with my campaign manager and my team and we’ve all agreed to move forward and remain cordial. We will continue to reach out to as many students as possible.”
According to Wood, what matters most are students and reaching out to them. 
“The SA is here to serve them and not the individual person,” Wood said. “I’m running for SA president because I believe students need a voice and they need someone who will serve them to the best of their ability. My platform does just that.”
Jamie Aron, SA elections commissioner and chief of justice, said what’s happened is not a “Roxanne” or “Cole” issue.
“This is an issue with the president. Neither of the candidates did something wrong, just the president,” Aron said. “There are allegations that this invalidates the election, but that isn’t true.”
Aron said there is a process that will take place to decide Dodd’s penalties. 
“Under the judicial council, we can require an SA body to cease illegal or unconstitutional activities, so we will issue a statement asking JoJo to take down his post, or we can require the correction of illegal or unconstitutional activities,” Aron said. “So after we issue a statement asking him to take down his post and apologize for knowingly violating the constitution, if he does not do as we ask, we will take him to judicial council.”
Aron continued stating Dodd took a vow when he was sworn in as SA president last year to faithfully support and defend the constitution.
“That was the first statement in the lines of many things he said he would do,” Aron said. “So he knowingly violated the constitution. Now he has to suffer the consequences and we will handle them accordingly.”
Executive candidates began campaigning on campus last week and a debate is scheduled for Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. in the Colvard Student Union, second floor Ballroom U. Students will vote in elections on Feb. 2.
The SA judicial council plans to have a decision on Dodd’s consequences by the end of the week.
Editor’s note: Roxanne Raven is a member of the Student Publications Committee that offers general input into the overall operation of The Reflector. She played no role in the reporting and editing of this news story or any other story in The Reflector.